InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ It Takes Two ❯ Shower ( Chapter 19 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Xagzan 
Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, so I make no money from this
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Fantasy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.20.2008 | Updated On: 03.25.2008 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: InuYasha and all its characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, so I make no money from this
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Fantasy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.20.2008 | Updated On: 03.25.2008 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
Hey everybody, sorry I'm late, over a week I know. Rough, rough week. Man, am I drained. I just want to get back to my Wii and Brawl right now. Tomorrow I guess. Oh, remember, if you see that I'm late in updating the story, or are just curious about when it will be up, you can always check my livejournal profile (xagzan.livejournal.com), and I will probably make a post about the status of the upcoming chapter, like I did for this one. And if there's no post, feel free to send me a message here or there. So, now I'll leave you to the chapter, and yes, the title is pretty straightforward. Have fun.
Shower
“Wake up, InuYasha.”
“Hnnn…wha…? Oh, morning, guys.”
The hanyou had woken up to the soft sound of Kagome and Sango's voices and opened his eyes to see that both girls were still on either side of him, their arms across his bare chest, caressing his skin fondly. InuYasha sighed. Even though he hadn't gotten to make love to them last night, he had gotten close. But they had fallen asleep in this position before he could get any further. Perhaps it was better, though, he thought, considering the `guests' in the huts nearby. The trio's hut was a decent distance from the others, but it wasn't far, and the howls and cries of two women and an aroused inner youkai were sure to be heard by villagers and little children alike. In any case, he wasn't gonna complain with the tender, nude bodies of his mates snuggled up to him.
“We should probably get dressed, just in case Rin or Shippo decide to wander in here,” Sango suggested.
“What about Kohaku?” Kagome asked across the hanyou's chest.
Sango chuckled. “I don't think he would be that naïve anymore. He's a smart guy.”
“Alright you two,” InuYasha interjected, unwillingly sliding their arms off him and rising from between their bodies, “Don't move, just relax and let me get your stuff.”
“Oh, InuYasha, you don't have to do that,” said Kagome, watching her lover walk to the corner of the room to fetch her and Sango's clothes.
“Nah, I want to,” he assured her. He bent down, lifted a sleeping Kirara off the pile, and tossed the clothes to his mates. Kagome and Sango were a little surprised at the growing thoughtfulness of InuYasha, but it did seem that as they got closer and closer to their due dates, he was becoming even more protective of them. He helped them slowly to their feet then left the hut to stand guard outside against any potential intruders. Inside, the women chatted about the previous evening as they got dressed. It had been very interesting to see InuYasha and Sesshomaru actually sitting down together to share a meal. That was something nobody there had ever imagined. But, unlike in InuYasha's imagination of what a `family reunion' would be like, he and his brother hadn't stared daggers at each other over their food.
“They've both grown a lot, haven't they,” Sango commented.
“Yeah. Who would've thought that Sesshomaru's turned out the way he has? You know, more caring, and not just about Rin. Even if he does try to hide it, or will never admit it. And it's like InuYasha matures a little more each day since we got pregnant.”
“You noticed that, too, huh?” Sango was sliding her kimono over her shoulders, and Kagome was fumbling with her bra straps.
“Mhm. Way more mature.”
“Well, we've all done a little growing,” Sango joked, patting her large tummy. The girls finally got their clothes on and walked out to join InuYasha. They found Rin and Shippo trying to push past the barricades that were his red-sleeved arms to get into the hut.
“I said you guys can't go in yet,” InuYasha was saying.
“Why not?” asked Shippo.
“We just wanna rub their tummies,” Rin explained. “Oh, morning Kagome, Sango!” She said when she saw them.
“Hey you two,” Kagome called out, “So you want to rub our bellies, huh?” Rin nodded and rushed forward, feeling both pregnant women, giggling excitedly.
“Oooh, another kick!”
“You guys are getting closer to giving birth,” Shippo said, “And Rin's real excited about being an aunt.”
“Don't forget about yourself, Shippo,” Sango replied. Rin was now taking a turn on her stomach. “You and Kohaku are going to be uncles. Speaking of which, where is he, do you know?”
“Oh, he's still asleep, the lazy bum,” Rin answered. “Maybe he was tired from all that traveling he did yesterday. But he's just lounging around in that hut by himself. Lord Sesshomaru had to take off on some other youkai chores.”
The little girl got her fill of rubbing and then took off with Shippo to go wake Kohaku no matter what. Kagome and the others watched them trot off. It had been decided last night that since Rin was so anxious to be there when the babies were born, she and Kohaku would stay in the village for the next several months with Kaede. Of course, Sesshomaru wasn't staying, but he planned to check in on them from time to time until the births. He wouldn't say, but Kagome could assume that he was looking forward himself to seeing his nieces or nephews, or both.
“I wonder if they're going to be boys or girls or both…” Kagome spoke out loud. Sango and InuYasha looked at her curiously. “The babies,” she clarified.
“I could tell you,” InuYasha offered. His nose was finally able to pick up the genders by scent.
“No, that's ok,” the girls agreed, wanting it to be more of a surprise.
“But you know,” Kagome said, “even if we don't want to know what we're having yet, I'm sure my mom does.”
“Ugh, we just got back, Kagome” InuYasha groaned. “We can't just go back again so soon.”
“Relax, I wasn't saying we should,” she responded. “Just, soon. Which means, Sango and me will have to get sonograms for her.”
“What's a sonogram?” Sango asked, wondering whether it was something that hurt.
“Don't worry, dear,” Kagome answered. “It's just…it's like a…” she was trying to find an easy way to explain. “It's when the doctors in a hospital basically take a picture of your stomach, but you're actually able to see through the skin and into the womb where the baby is.”
Sango nodded, having seen photographs in Kagome's time and knew what they were. InuYasha knew, too, but the whole see-through concept…well, he wasn't grasping that yet.
“You'll see what I mean soon enough,” Kagome told him.
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A month or so later…
“Ok, will everything be ready for whenever they come back?” Eri asked.
“Yep, we just have to get everything and everyone over to the house without them seeing,” Yuka answered. The girls were doing some reviewing of certain plans they'd made.
“Don't worry,” a girl named Chisato interjected. She was a friend of the girls' from school who they had invited, along with quite some others, to the event. “Mrs. Higurashi said that as soon as they come back, she's going to take them out for the day, probably going to insist on a sonogram so she can see the sexes.”
“Good, then that's taken care of,” Yuka said. “Is there anything else to take care of?”
“Don't think so,” Ayumi assured her, rocking her newborn baby in her arms. She had just given birth recently and had only been let out of the hospital a few days ago with the kid. Now she was holding her little Yukiko's mouth to her chest, breastfeeding the tiny girl.
“Oh, come on,” Eri groaned, putting a hand over her eyes. “Don't do that in front of us, dear.”
“What, it's perfectly natural,” Ayumi protested. “She needs to be fed now, anyway.”
“Be nice, Eri,” Chisato said. “That will be you someday.” Eri huffed but complied, letting her friend continue. “Now, let's go over the guest list again, how about it?”
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Kagome had told InuYasha that he'd see what a sonogram was soon enough, and today was now that day. Today, Sesshomaru was remaining near the village to watch over the little ones (Kaede needed more rest nowadays), Kagome took her two loves down the well once again for one of these `sonograms'. Rather, InuYasha took them, big as they were. It was still pretty early in the morning when they arrived at the shrine. Kagome and the others stopped by the house to ask her mom if she'd give them a lift to the clinic. Mrs. Higurashi had a day off today (and plans to distract the girls), and agreed to drive them over. Not before, however, quickly sneaking a phone call to Eri to tell her that the house was theirs to set up. In the car, InuYasha sat up in front with Mrs. Higurashi so that Kagome and Sango could have plenty of room to breathe in the backseats. InuYasha, with his hat, and Sango found their first ride in this strange contraption called a `car' to be relatively enjoyable, if not a little bumpy. They had, of course, no idea what this `gasoline' and `engine' talk was about, when Kagome and her mother tried to explain them. At the clinic, when they arrived, Kagome and Sango were led into the room to get their sonograms done; both girls kept their eyes closed so the genders would remain a surprise to them. Mrs. Higurashi and InuYasha, however, peered at the images on the screens.
So this is what she meant by seeing through the skin… thought the hanyou. Even though he already knew the sexes of both pups, he was a bit startled at what they looked like while still in the womb. He could barely make out that tiny moving creature in the blurry image, and saw something that he realized was the baby's head; the rest of the bizarre looking body was wriggling around in that strange lifelike image.
“Remember, don't tell us what they are,” Kagome warned him.
“Keh, I already knew before,” he grumbled.
“Oh, I am going to have such wonderful grandchildren,” Kagome's mother exclaimed happily. “A grandmother, me, at my age. Imagine that.”
“Don't worry, mom,” Sango said, having gotten very comfortable calling Mrs. Higurashi as such. Indeed, she had quickly come to see the woman as a surrogate mother, her real one having died when she was a small girl…about 500 years ago by this time… “You still look very young.”
“She's right, mom,” Kagome nodded, “You really don't look a day over twenty, really.”
“You two are such teasers,” she answered, wagging a finger at them. “Oh, excuse me, I have a call,” she announced when her cell rang, and went into the hall to talk.
“Umm, can we go soon?” InuYasha was clearly getting impatient. Plus, that hat was starting to make his furry ears itch.
“Ooh, calm down, you,” Kagome said. “We'll go when we're ready. Got it?” Those last two words had a hint of warning in them. The hanyou took the hint and shut up grudgingly. Eventually, though, the nurse told them that they were all set to go, and Mrs. Higurashi came back into the room and then led the trio back to the car, with every intention of heading straight home. The phone call she had just received had been from Yuka, who had told her that everything was set and they could come back to the house.
“Hm, I wonder what InuYasha's going to think about this. It will be so foreign to him,” she thought to herself. “I wonder where we'll put him…” Any more thoughts were cut off by the three lovers getting settled in the car. She started up the car and took off onto the road.
“Alright, we got those pictures, now it's time to go back. But first, I'm starving,” InuYasha said, folding his arms into his sleeves. Kagome and Sango nodded in agreement, since they were also completely unaware of what was in store for them.
Heheh, not just yet, young man, Mrs. Higurashi chuckled.
“Something funny, mom?” Kagome asked.
“Oh, nothing, dear,” she impassively replied. “Just be patient. We'll be home soon enough, you'll see…” It was obvious to the girls that there was some hidden meaning, something their mother was keeping from them. However, they didn't question her about it. Perhaps InuYasha would've noticed, too, if he hadn't fallen right asleep once on the road. Kagome laughed. Apparently, bumpy car rides soothed her hanyou's nerves enough for a nap.
I do hope they're all set up… Mrs. Higurashi trusted the girls to get everything ready for the perfect surprise when they got back. She could feel a bubbling excitement growing in her at the thought of seeing the look on her daughters' faces when they discovered the surprise. It was only a few minutes more before she pulled back into the garage below the shrine grounds.
“How come there are so many cars here…?” Kagome wondered. “What's going on? Hey, InuYasha, wake up, we're at the house,” Kagome whispered, shaking him by the shoulders. The hanyou blinked open his eyes and yawned, stretching his arms out. He and Mrs. Higurashi helped the pregnant women back up to the shrine. The miko was even more lost when she saw some decorations around the house. “Balloons, too?” Now Kagome was very confused. She turned to her mother and saw a small smile tug on the women's lips. “Heyy, wait a minute. Mom, you know something, don't you.”
“Who, me? I don't know what you're talking about.” She smiled coyly, walking towards the door ahead of the three, as if in a hurry to…show them something? What could it be, Kagome asked herself.
“And now, girls,” she began, sounding like some sort of sports announcer, and opened the door to the inside, “I'd like to welcome you toooo….” She watched carefully while the bewildered trio slowly entered the house and glanced around the suspiciously dark and empty living room, then called out loudly, “YOUR BABY SHOWER!”
And with that, people sprang up from behind the couch, from underneath it, ran down the stairs, burst from the kitchen, all running towards the wide-eyed women in the doorway, shouting many forms of congratulations. Kagome recognized a good number of the people there, they were her classmates, but Sango was utterly lost amid all these strangers. Mrs. Higurashi went to the kitchen to put away her bags.
“Hey, Kagome, Sango!” That was Eri.
“Welcome to your very own baby shower!” Kagome recognized that girl as Sara, a foreign exchange student who she had known back before graduation.
“You're both gonna be just like me soon,” Ayumi came with little Yukiko in her arms. Kagome and Sango hadn't yet seen this newborn and instantly melted over the sight of it, wanting to touch its cute little face, its little fingers, small toes. But that wasn't going to happen just yet, for Kagome recognized many more of her old classmates. They were mostly girls, naturally. Let's see…she saw Eri, Yuka, Ayumi (of course), Sara, Chisato, Mikoto (one of the girls who had always been on Kagome's volleyball team at school), Fumina and Yabuki (nursing interns), and quite a few more familiar faces that Kagome had known in middle school. They all came up to say hello, and they each greeted Sango, too. They hadn't been told, of course, that InuYasha was her lover as well. Kagome also noticed that in the corner of the room, a bunch of guys were huddled together, looking a bit out of place and unsure of what they should be doing. They were probably the boyfriends of the girls there, Kagome figured.
But wait, isn't that…?
“Hey, Kagome!”
“Oh, hello, Hojo!” Kagome called out to the boy walking over to her. The smiling Hojo always seemed to lighten up a room somehow, and many of the girls had hearts in their eyes staring at him, making their boyfriends frown. InuYasha's ears twitched at the sight of this other male approaching his woman. “What are you doing here?” Kagome asked.
Stupid question.
“Eri invited me,” he responded enthusiastically, as always. Kagome was a bit perturbed that her friend would invite the guy they'd been trying to set her up with to her baby shower, especially with InuYasha and Sango there.
“You're Hojo, aren't you?” InuYasha asked, stepping in front of Kagome possessively.
“Yes. And you're InuYasha, right? I think we met once, during that school play. Boy, what a show that was, huh? Everyone said it had such great special effects for a high school performance, and I still don't know how you managed to destroy the roof. It was really fun! And who is this?” He had just spotted Sango.
“Oh, my name is Sango,” she told him. “I'm a…good friend of Kagome's from out of town.”
“Is that so? Nice to meet you!”
Kagome was uncomfortable. Honestly, what was Eri thinking? She had half a mind to go tell her off, and was about to do so when another girl sauntered her way over to the group. Kagome and Sango, and even the indifferent hanyou couldn't help but stare at the voluptuous, long-legged female walked next to Hojo and hooked her arm through his. InuYasha turned red in the face at the violet, satin dress that hugged her frame and her curves in all the right places. A jab from Kagome's elbow brought his focus back.
“Hojo, dear,” the vixen said, her voice almost a moan itself, “Are these girls the guests of honor?”
“Oh, yes, forgive me,” he answered, “I haven't introduced you yet. Kagome, this is Eiko, my girlfriend.” Seeing the surprised look on Kagome's face, he added, “We just met recently. She's a model, you know, for the Yamaguchi Fashion Corporation. Anyway, I'm sorry, but we can't stay much longer.”
“Ohhh, wow,” Kagome turned to Sango, nodding, and letting the slayer know she should nod in approval as well. “Well, that's good for you Hojo. I'm glad to see you with someone,” she smiled and glanced over at Eri. The girl gave her a quick grin and thumbs up, as if to let her know there was nothing to worry about, after all.
“Hojo,” Eiko said, patting his arm, “You haven't given these two girls their gifts yet.”
“Ah, of course! Hold on sec.” Hojo ran over to the corner, where a bunch of bags and boxes had been placed together and grabbed two bags, then handed one to Kagome and Sango. “These are just some things we picked up for you and the babies,” he told them.
“Oh, thank you very much, you two,” Kagome said. She was about to check inside the bag when Yuka came rushing over, waving her arms.
“Nonononononono, Kagome! No opening presents yet. InuYasha, you can go stay with the guys. They're going upstairs now. Us girls are gonna stay here to celebrate. And don't worry, Kagome, Sota's in his room.” Yuka took the two pregnant women by the arms and led them over to sit on the couch with Ayumi and her baby.
“Ok, you two,” Eri called, running to them, bringing with her the rest of the girls, “Time for the first game!”
“Game…?” Sango was confused.
“Yes, Sango, we're gonna play guess the baby's sex! We rub around your tummy and make a simple guess.”
“Me first!” Mikoto raised her hand. She scooted past the others and placed a hand on both of the girls' stomachs, rubbing them in small circles. “Hmmmm, let's see,” she thought out loud, trying to feel the motions of the babies inside to make her decision. “I'm guessing for Kagome…it's going to be a…BOY!! And Sango here, feels like a…hm, a GIRL!”
Kagome felt her face flush. “You guys, I don't want to know the gender…”
“Relax, Kagome,” Mikoto assured her, “It's just for fun.”
“Hey, let me see,” Sara said, walked to the couch, and did her share of rubbing tummies before announcing, “No way, Miki, you're wrong. Kagome's having the girl, Sango's having the boy.”
“What? No, I'm sure I'm right.”
“My turn! My turn!”
“Ok, make way, I'm up next!”
“What's it gonna be?”
The rubbing and feeling went on for a few more minutes, with each girl making different predictions about the babies. Boy girl, girl boy, boy boy, girl girl, some predicted twins, even triplets, from Kagome and Sango. When they were all done, Eri cleared her throat to get the others' attention.
“Ok, everybody, it's time for the next event: String around the belly!”
Kagome and Sango blinked, wondering what that was. Yuka pushed through the group of girls holding two long pieces of string in her hands.
“What we're gonna do now, “ she stated, “Is take turns tying these strings around your bellies. And whenever one of them snaps, it means that the person who tied it should be the next to have a baby. Oh, by the way, Kagome, Sara and Yabuki and Chi have been in the kitchen all day and your mom's in there now helping them finish up with the food. So it should be ready soon.”
“Hm, that game sounds interesting,” said Sango, getting into the spirit of things. “Alright, do me first.”
She lifted her arms to shoulder level, and Kagome did likewise. All the girls took their time carefully wrapping the string around the pregnant stomachs, but most of them were unsuccessful in getting them to snap. Eventually, though, both strings did break. The one around Kagome was broken for Yuka, and the one around Sango for Fumina, the nurse. Both girls giggled that they had been `chosen' by the string to be next in line to have kids. Meanwhile, Hojo and Eiko had already taken their leave, and InuYasha had been left by himself on the stairs. Even after all these things he'd seen so far, he had no idea what was going on. He paced around by the stairs aimlessly, having little desire to `mingle' with the other guests, but a greater desire to peep through the stair railing, unnoticed by the girls, to keep watch over his two mates, just in case this `party' turned into some barbaric, drunken, sacrificial ritual (The hanyou wasn't too learned about baby showers).
What is this bizarre event? He thought. Those things called balloons are everywhere…Men going up the stairs, women staying down here…Wrapped boxes with things in them that can't be opened yet…And… At this he froze, and his nose wiggled. He had caught scent of something delicious, something oh so mouthwatering that he had smelled before, once or twice while staying at this house. And that something smelled a lot like…
“CAKE!!” He shouted happily, his normal reserve shattered by the smell of chocolate and that delicious thing called frosting. The girls below whirled up at his voice, and they yelped a second later when the hungry hanyou took a leap over the banister to the floor. Unfortunately, he wasn't as agile as normal due to his cake lust, and his food accidentally caught on the railing and broke off a section of the wood. The girls yelled as the pieces dropped to the ground with the hanyou, who had tripped and now landed square on his shoulders. This, however, was not enough to stop InuYasha's dash to the kitchen and source of the scent, also tripping over some flowerpots and vases on the way. Kagome was fuming inwardly, but decided not to Sit him in front of so many people. Clatters and crashes and shouts were heard in the kitchen, and InuYasha soon came out of the room with great chocolate stains all over his smiling face and red robe.
“Hey, guys,” he said excitedly, “There's cake in ther—“
“InuYasha…”
Kagome's low, threatening tone was only topped by the death stare that InuYasha saw aimed at him. He recoiled sharply.
“Oh, uh, umm, s-sorry…I'll, I'll go clean…” And with that he fled faster than he ever had in his life.
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An hour later…
Kagome and Sango (and Ayumi, too) sighed heavily and reclined on the couch. The girls and Mrs. Higurashi were walking around the room, still helping InuYasha clean the broken pot pieces on the floor. Thankfully, he hadn't completely destroyed the cake, and Sara and Chisato were able to serve it as planned. And they all agreed the double chocolate fudge had been damn delicious. InuYasha had cleaned himself up, but wasn't about to change clothes. So he remained in brown-stained fire-rat robe. Soon enough, everything was cleaned as best as possible.
“Done!” Eri proclaimed.
“Does this sort of thing happen often at your house when InuYasha's here?” Sango whispered to Kagome. The miko sighed again and nodded.
“Yes, sadly.”
“Oh, don't look so gloomy, you two,” Yuka said, coming over to them. Apparently they had had gloomy looks on their faces. “We've got it all cleaned now.”
“Sorry again,” InuYasha repeated.
“Don't worry, dear,” Kagome assured him. “All is forgiven.” She pulled him down for a quick kiss, to which the rest of the girls awwwwed.
The rest of the day passed smoothly into evening. The girls organized a few more games for the expecting, including tossing diapers against the wall until they broke and chocolate and candy came spilling out. They then just lounged around the living room, chatting randomly and about the babies to come. Eventually, it was time for everyone to leave. The schoolgirls yelled upstairs for their boyfriends to come back down. They ran down the stairs; they hadn't been too bored, since Sota had invited them into his room to play videogames. The guys went to the closet to grab the coats for them and their girls, and one by one Kagome and Sango bid farewell to the guests, thanking them for such a delightful surprise and saying they hoped they'd had fun. Eri, Yuka, Ayumi, and her baby were the last to leave.
“Boy oh boy!” Kagome exhaled. InuYasha helped her and the slayer back to the sofa to sit. “What a day, huh? Let's see what presents we got.” They opened the bags an unwrapped the boxes. Most of the stuff, of course, was for the babies. Bibs, high cars, passifiers, diapers, guides to parenting, etc. And there was stuff for Kagome and Sango, too; a lot of sweets, some makeup, and new Hirokata purses. Sango seemed to be very enamored of this object that held so many little trinkets.
“You certainly have some fun traditions in this time,” Sango noted.
“Fun? More like strange,” InuYasha keh'd. “But I did like the cake.” The girls chuckled at this; it was obvious from the stains that he liked chocolate. The hanyou walked over to the couch and sat between his mates, putting an arm around both of them.
“InuYasha, can we stay the night?” Kagome asked. “We're tired. We can go back tomorrow.”
“Sure thing, mate,” he replied, yawning, apparently a little tired himself. “We'll go tomorrow.”
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< br> Meanwhile…
“Lord Sesshomaru!”
The daiyoukai turned at his name being called. Rin was running down the path through the village, panting.
“What is it, Rin?”
The girl stopped at his waist and bent over to catch her breath. “I was…wondering,” she huffed, trying to arrange the question she'd wanted to ask because of the feelings she'd been having. Feelings that she'd already told Sango and Kagome, but wanted the opinion of the man she trusted most in the world.
“Wondering what?”
She stood up straight and looked up at him, standing at attention seriously, yet in a slightly comical manner.
“My lord, can I ask for your advice on love?”
To be continued…
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Next time:
The baby shower was a success…well, mostly. The time draws nearer and nearer for the birth of Kagome and Sango's babies. And now, what could Rin be asking of Sesshomaru? Is her crush for Kohaku, in fact, something more? Stay tuned.
My note: Just want to thank the many reviewers. I've edited c. 18 briefly, about Kohaku's reaction to IY being Sango's mate, by the way.
Shower
“Wake up, InuYasha.”
“Hnnn…wha…? Oh, morning, guys.”
The hanyou had woken up to the soft sound of Kagome and Sango's voices and opened his eyes to see that both girls were still on either side of him, their arms across his bare chest, caressing his skin fondly. InuYasha sighed. Even though he hadn't gotten to make love to them last night, he had gotten close. But they had fallen asleep in this position before he could get any further. Perhaps it was better, though, he thought, considering the `guests' in the huts nearby. The trio's hut was a decent distance from the others, but it wasn't far, and the howls and cries of two women and an aroused inner youkai were sure to be heard by villagers and little children alike. In any case, he wasn't gonna complain with the tender, nude bodies of his mates snuggled up to him.
“We should probably get dressed, just in case Rin or Shippo decide to wander in here,” Sango suggested.
“What about Kohaku?” Kagome asked across the hanyou's chest.
Sango chuckled. “I don't think he would be that naïve anymore. He's a smart guy.”
“Alright you two,” InuYasha interjected, unwillingly sliding their arms off him and rising from between their bodies, “Don't move, just relax and let me get your stuff.”
“Oh, InuYasha, you don't have to do that,” said Kagome, watching her lover walk to the corner of the room to fetch her and Sango's clothes.
“Nah, I want to,” he assured her. He bent down, lifted a sleeping Kirara off the pile, and tossed the clothes to his mates. Kagome and Sango were a little surprised at the growing thoughtfulness of InuYasha, but it did seem that as they got closer and closer to their due dates, he was becoming even more protective of them. He helped them slowly to their feet then left the hut to stand guard outside against any potential intruders. Inside, the women chatted about the previous evening as they got dressed. It had been very interesting to see InuYasha and Sesshomaru actually sitting down together to share a meal. That was something nobody there had ever imagined. But, unlike in InuYasha's imagination of what a `family reunion' would be like, he and his brother hadn't stared daggers at each other over their food.
“They've both grown a lot, haven't they,” Sango commented.
“Yeah. Who would've thought that Sesshomaru's turned out the way he has? You know, more caring, and not just about Rin. Even if he does try to hide it, or will never admit it. And it's like InuYasha matures a little more each day since we got pregnant.”
“You noticed that, too, huh?” Sango was sliding her kimono over her shoulders, and Kagome was fumbling with her bra straps.
“Mhm. Way more mature.”
“Well, we've all done a little growing,” Sango joked, patting her large tummy. The girls finally got their clothes on and walked out to join InuYasha. They found Rin and Shippo trying to push past the barricades that were his red-sleeved arms to get into the hut.
“I said you guys can't go in yet,” InuYasha was saying.
“Why not?” asked Shippo.
“We just wanna rub their tummies,” Rin explained. “Oh, morning Kagome, Sango!” She said when she saw them.
“Hey you two,” Kagome called out, “So you want to rub our bellies, huh?” Rin nodded and rushed forward, feeling both pregnant women, giggling excitedly.
“Oooh, another kick!”
“You guys are getting closer to giving birth,” Shippo said, “And Rin's real excited about being an aunt.”
“Don't forget about yourself, Shippo,” Sango replied. Rin was now taking a turn on her stomach. “You and Kohaku are going to be uncles. Speaking of which, where is he, do you know?”
“Oh, he's still asleep, the lazy bum,” Rin answered. “Maybe he was tired from all that traveling he did yesterday. But he's just lounging around in that hut by himself. Lord Sesshomaru had to take off on some other youkai chores.”
The little girl got her fill of rubbing and then took off with Shippo to go wake Kohaku no matter what. Kagome and the others watched them trot off. It had been decided last night that since Rin was so anxious to be there when the babies were born, she and Kohaku would stay in the village for the next several months with Kaede. Of course, Sesshomaru wasn't staying, but he planned to check in on them from time to time until the births. He wouldn't say, but Kagome could assume that he was looking forward himself to seeing his nieces or nephews, or both.
“I wonder if they're going to be boys or girls or both…” Kagome spoke out loud. Sango and InuYasha looked at her curiously. “The babies,” she clarified.
“I could tell you,” InuYasha offered. His nose was finally able to pick up the genders by scent.
“No, that's ok,” the girls agreed, wanting it to be more of a surprise.
“But you know,” Kagome said, “even if we don't want to know what we're having yet, I'm sure my mom does.”
“Ugh, we just got back, Kagome” InuYasha groaned. “We can't just go back again so soon.”
“Relax, I wasn't saying we should,” she responded. “Just, soon. Which means, Sango and me will have to get sonograms for her.”
“What's a sonogram?” Sango asked, wondering whether it was something that hurt.
“Don't worry, dear,” Kagome answered. “It's just…it's like a…” she was trying to find an easy way to explain. “It's when the doctors in a hospital basically take a picture of your stomach, but you're actually able to see through the skin and into the womb where the baby is.”
Sango nodded, having seen photographs in Kagome's time and knew what they were. InuYasha knew, too, but the whole see-through concept…well, he wasn't grasping that yet.
“You'll see what I mean soon enough,” Kagome told him.
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A month or so later…
“Ok, will everything be ready for whenever they come back?” Eri asked.
“Yep, we just have to get everything and everyone over to the house without them seeing,” Yuka answered. The girls were doing some reviewing of certain plans they'd made.
“Don't worry,” a girl named Chisato interjected. She was a friend of the girls' from school who they had invited, along with quite some others, to the event. “Mrs. Higurashi said that as soon as they come back, she's going to take them out for the day, probably going to insist on a sonogram so she can see the sexes.”
“Good, then that's taken care of,” Yuka said. “Is there anything else to take care of?”
“Don't think so,” Ayumi assured her, rocking her newborn baby in her arms. She had just given birth recently and had only been let out of the hospital a few days ago with the kid. Now she was holding her little Yukiko's mouth to her chest, breastfeeding the tiny girl.
“Oh, come on,” Eri groaned, putting a hand over her eyes. “Don't do that in front of us, dear.”
“What, it's perfectly natural,” Ayumi protested. “She needs to be fed now, anyway.”
“Be nice, Eri,” Chisato said. “That will be you someday.” Eri huffed but complied, letting her friend continue. “Now, let's go over the guest list again, how about it?”
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Kagome had told InuYasha that he'd see what a sonogram was soon enough, and today was now that day. Today, Sesshomaru was remaining near the village to watch over the little ones (Kaede needed more rest nowadays), Kagome took her two loves down the well once again for one of these `sonograms'. Rather, InuYasha took them, big as they were. It was still pretty early in the morning when they arrived at the shrine. Kagome and the others stopped by the house to ask her mom if she'd give them a lift to the clinic. Mrs. Higurashi had a day off today (and plans to distract the girls), and agreed to drive them over. Not before, however, quickly sneaking a phone call to Eri to tell her that the house was theirs to set up. In the car, InuYasha sat up in front with Mrs. Higurashi so that Kagome and Sango could have plenty of room to breathe in the backseats. InuYasha, with his hat, and Sango found their first ride in this strange contraption called a `car' to be relatively enjoyable, if not a little bumpy. They had, of course, no idea what this `gasoline' and `engine' talk was about, when Kagome and her mother tried to explain them. At the clinic, when they arrived, Kagome and Sango were led into the room to get their sonograms done; both girls kept their eyes closed so the genders would remain a surprise to them. Mrs. Higurashi and InuYasha, however, peered at the images on the screens.
So this is what she meant by seeing through the skin… thought the hanyou. Even though he already knew the sexes of both pups, he was a bit startled at what they looked like while still in the womb. He could barely make out that tiny moving creature in the blurry image, and saw something that he realized was the baby's head; the rest of the bizarre looking body was wriggling around in that strange lifelike image.
“Remember, don't tell us what they are,” Kagome warned him.
“Keh, I already knew before,” he grumbled.
“Oh, I am going to have such wonderful grandchildren,” Kagome's mother exclaimed happily. “A grandmother, me, at my age. Imagine that.”
“Don't worry, mom,” Sango said, having gotten very comfortable calling Mrs. Higurashi as such. Indeed, she had quickly come to see the woman as a surrogate mother, her real one having died when she was a small girl…about 500 years ago by this time… “You still look very young.”
“She's right, mom,” Kagome nodded, “You really don't look a day over twenty, really.”
“You two are such teasers,” she answered, wagging a finger at them. “Oh, excuse me, I have a call,” she announced when her cell rang, and went into the hall to talk.
“Umm, can we go soon?” InuYasha was clearly getting impatient. Plus, that hat was starting to make his furry ears itch.
“Ooh, calm down, you,” Kagome said. “We'll go when we're ready. Got it?” Those last two words had a hint of warning in them. The hanyou took the hint and shut up grudgingly. Eventually, though, the nurse told them that they were all set to go, and Mrs. Higurashi came back into the room and then led the trio back to the car, with every intention of heading straight home. The phone call she had just received had been from Yuka, who had told her that everything was set and they could come back to the house.
“Hm, I wonder what InuYasha's going to think about this. It will be so foreign to him,” she thought to herself. “I wonder where we'll put him…” Any more thoughts were cut off by the three lovers getting settled in the car. She started up the car and took off onto the road.
“Alright, we got those pictures, now it's time to go back. But first, I'm starving,” InuYasha said, folding his arms into his sleeves. Kagome and Sango nodded in agreement, since they were also completely unaware of what was in store for them.
Heheh, not just yet, young man, Mrs. Higurashi chuckled.
“Something funny, mom?” Kagome asked.
“Oh, nothing, dear,” she impassively replied. “Just be patient. We'll be home soon enough, you'll see…” It was obvious to the girls that there was some hidden meaning, something their mother was keeping from them. However, they didn't question her about it. Perhaps InuYasha would've noticed, too, if he hadn't fallen right asleep once on the road. Kagome laughed. Apparently, bumpy car rides soothed her hanyou's nerves enough for a nap.
I do hope they're all set up… Mrs. Higurashi trusted the girls to get everything ready for the perfect surprise when they got back. She could feel a bubbling excitement growing in her at the thought of seeing the look on her daughters' faces when they discovered the surprise. It was only a few minutes more before she pulled back into the garage below the shrine grounds.
“How come there are so many cars here…?” Kagome wondered. “What's going on? Hey, InuYasha, wake up, we're at the house,” Kagome whispered, shaking him by the shoulders. The hanyou blinked open his eyes and yawned, stretching his arms out. He and Mrs. Higurashi helped the pregnant women back up to the shrine. The miko was even more lost when she saw some decorations around the house. “Balloons, too?” Now Kagome was very confused. She turned to her mother and saw a small smile tug on the women's lips. “Heyy, wait a minute. Mom, you know something, don't you.”
“Who, me? I don't know what you're talking about.” She smiled coyly, walking towards the door ahead of the three, as if in a hurry to…show them something? What could it be, Kagome asked herself.
“And now, girls,” she began, sounding like some sort of sports announcer, and opened the door to the inside, “I'd like to welcome you toooo….” She watched carefully while the bewildered trio slowly entered the house and glanced around the suspiciously dark and empty living room, then called out loudly, “YOUR BABY SHOWER!”
And with that, people sprang up from behind the couch, from underneath it, ran down the stairs, burst from the kitchen, all running towards the wide-eyed women in the doorway, shouting many forms of congratulations. Kagome recognized a good number of the people there, they were her classmates, but Sango was utterly lost amid all these strangers. Mrs. Higurashi went to the kitchen to put away her bags.
“Hey, Kagome, Sango!” That was Eri.
“Welcome to your very own baby shower!” Kagome recognized that girl as Sara, a foreign exchange student who she had known back before graduation.
“You're both gonna be just like me soon,” Ayumi came with little Yukiko in her arms. Kagome and Sango hadn't yet seen this newborn and instantly melted over the sight of it, wanting to touch its cute little face, its little fingers, small toes. But that wasn't going to happen just yet, for Kagome recognized many more of her old classmates. They were mostly girls, naturally. Let's see…she saw Eri, Yuka, Ayumi (of course), Sara, Chisato, Mikoto (one of the girls who had always been on Kagome's volleyball team at school), Fumina and Yabuki (nursing interns), and quite a few more familiar faces that Kagome had known in middle school. They all came up to say hello, and they each greeted Sango, too. They hadn't been told, of course, that InuYasha was her lover as well. Kagome also noticed that in the corner of the room, a bunch of guys were huddled together, looking a bit out of place and unsure of what they should be doing. They were probably the boyfriends of the girls there, Kagome figured.
But wait, isn't that…?
“Hey, Kagome!”
“Oh, hello, Hojo!” Kagome called out to the boy walking over to her. The smiling Hojo always seemed to lighten up a room somehow, and many of the girls had hearts in their eyes staring at him, making their boyfriends frown. InuYasha's ears twitched at the sight of this other male approaching his woman. “What are you doing here?” Kagome asked.
Stupid question.
“Eri invited me,” he responded enthusiastically, as always. Kagome was a bit perturbed that her friend would invite the guy they'd been trying to set her up with to her baby shower, especially with InuYasha and Sango there.
“You're Hojo, aren't you?” InuYasha asked, stepping in front of Kagome possessively.
“Yes. And you're InuYasha, right? I think we met once, during that school play. Boy, what a show that was, huh? Everyone said it had such great special effects for a high school performance, and I still don't know how you managed to destroy the roof. It was really fun! And who is this?” He had just spotted Sango.
“Oh, my name is Sango,” she told him. “I'm a…good friend of Kagome's from out of town.”
“Is that so? Nice to meet you!”
Kagome was uncomfortable. Honestly, what was Eri thinking? She had half a mind to go tell her off, and was about to do so when another girl sauntered her way over to the group. Kagome and Sango, and even the indifferent hanyou couldn't help but stare at the voluptuous, long-legged female walked next to Hojo and hooked her arm through his. InuYasha turned red in the face at the violet, satin dress that hugged her frame and her curves in all the right places. A jab from Kagome's elbow brought his focus back.
“Hojo, dear,” the vixen said, her voice almost a moan itself, “Are these girls the guests of honor?”
“Oh, yes, forgive me,” he answered, “I haven't introduced you yet. Kagome, this is Eiko, my girlfriend.” Seeing the surprised look on Kagome's face, he added, “We just met recently. She's a model, you know, for the Yamaguchi Fashion Corporation. Anyway, I'm sorry, but we can't stay much longer.”
“Ohhh, wow,” Kagome turned to Sango, nodding, and letting the slayer know she should nod in approval as well. “Well, that's good for you Hojo. I'm glad to see you with someone,” she smiled and glanced over at Eri. The girl gave her a quick grin and thumbs up, as if to let her know there was nothing to worry about, after all.
“Hojo,” Eiko said, patting his arm, “You haven't given these two girls their gifts yet.”
“Ah, of course! Hold on sec.” Hojo ran over to the corner, where a bunch of bags and boxes had been placed together and grabbed two bags, then handed one to Kagome and Sango. “These are just some things we picked up for you and the babies,” he told them.
“Oh, thank you very much, you two,” Kagome said. She was about to check inside the bag when Yuka came rushing over, waving her arms.
“Nonononononono, Kagome! No opening presents yet. InuYasha, you can go stay with the guys. They're going upstairs now. Us girls are gonna stay here to celebrate. And don't worry, Kagome, Sota's in his room.” Yuka took the two pregnant women by the arms and led them over to sit on the couch with Ayumi and her baby.
“Ok, you two,” Eri called, running to them, bringing with her the rest of the girls, “Time for the first game!”
“Game…?” Sango was confused.
“Yes, Sango, we're gonna play guess the baby's sex! We rub around your tummy and make a simple guess.”
“Me first!” Mikoto raised her hand. She scooted past the others and placed a hand on both of the girls' stomachs, rubbing them in small circles. “Hmmmm, let's see,” she thought out loud, trying to feel the motions of the babies inside to make her decision. “I'm guessing for Kagome…it's going to be a…BOY!! And Sango here, feels like a…hm, a GIRL!”
Kagome felt her face flush. “You guys, I don't want to know the gender…”
“Relax, Kagome,” Mikoto assured her, “It's just for fun.”
“Hey, let me see,” Sara said, walked to the couch, and did her share of rubbing tummies before announcing, “No way, Miki, you're wrong. Kagome's having the girl, Sango's having the boy.”
“What? No, I'm sure I'm right.”
“My turn! My turn!”
“Ok, make way, I'm up next!”
“What's it gonna be?”
The rubbing and feeling went on for a few more minutes, with each girl making different predictions about the babies. Boy girl, girl boy, boy boy, girl girl, some predicted twins, even triplets, from Kagome and Sango. When they were all done, Eri cleared her throat to get the others' attention.
“Ok, everybody, it's time for the next event: String around the belly!”
Kagome and Sango blinked, wondering what that was. Yuka pushed through the group of girls holding two long pieces of string in her hands.
“What we're gonna do now, “ she stated, “Is take turns tying these strings around your bellies. And whenever one of them snaps, it means that the person who tied it should be the next to have a baby. Oh, by the way, Kagome, Sara and Yabuki and Chi have been in the kitchen all day and your mom's in there now helping them finish up with the food. So it should be ready soon.”
“Hm, that game sounds interesting,” said Sango, getting into the spirit of things. “Alright, do me first.”
She lifted her arms to shoulder level, and Kagome did likewise. All the girls took their time carefully wrapping the string around the pregnant stomachs, but most of them were unsuccessful in getting them to snap. Eventually, though, both strings did break. The one around Kagome was broken for Yuka, and the one around Sango for Fumina, the nurse. Both girls giggled that they had been `chosen' by the string to be next in line to have kids. Meanwhile, Hojo and Eiko had already taken their leave, and InuYasha had been left by himself on the stairs. Even after all these things he'd seen so far, he had no idea what was going on. He paced around by the stairs aimlessly, having little desire to `mingle' with the other guests, but a greater desire to peep through the stair railing, unnoticed by the girls, to keep watch over his two mates, just in case this `party' turned into some barbaric, drunken, sacrificial ritual (The hanyou wasn't too learned about baby showers).
What is this bizarre event? He thought. Those things called balloons are everywhere…Men going up the stairs, women staying down here…Wrapped boxes with things in them that can't be opened yet…And… At this he froze, and his nose wiggled. He had caught scent of something delicious, something oh so mouthwatering that he had smelled before, once or twice while staying at this house. And that something smelled a lot like…
“CAKE!!” He shouted happily, his normal reserve shattered by the smell of chocolate and that delicious thing called frosting. The girls below whirled up at his voice, and they yelped a second later when the hungry hanyou took a leap over the banister to the floor. Unfortunately, he wasn't as agile as normal due to his cake lust, and his food accidentally caught on the railing and broke off a section of the wood. The girls yelled as the pieces dropped to the ground with the hanyou, who had tripped and now landed square on his shoulders. This, however, was not enough to stop InuYasha's dash to the kitchen and source of the scent, also tripping over some flowerpots and vases on the way. Kagome was fuming inwardly, but decided not to Sit him in front of so many people. Clatters and crashes and shouts were heard in the kitchen, and InuYasha soon came out of the room with great chocolate stains all over his smiling face and red robe.
“Hey, guys,” he said excitedly, “There's cake in ther—“
“InuYasha…”
Kagome's low, threatening tone was only topped by the death stare that InuYasha saw aimed at him. He recoiled sharply.
“Oh, uh, umm, s-sorry…I'll, I'll go clean…” And with that he fled faster than he ever had in his life.
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An hour later…
Kagome and Sango (and Ayumi, too) sighed heavily and reclined on the couch. The girls and Mrs. Higurashi were walking around the room, still helping InuYasha clean the broken pot pieces on the floor. Thankfully, he hadn't completely destroyed the cake, and Sara and Chisato were able to serve it as planned. And they all agreed the double chocolate fudge had been damn delicious. InuYasha had cleaned himself up, but wasn't about to change clothes. So he remained in brown-stained fire-rat robe. Soon enough, everything was cleaned as best as possible.
“Done!” Eri proclaimed.
“Does this sort of thing happen often at your house when InuYasha's here?” Sango whispered to Kagome. The miko sighed again and nodded.
“Yes, sadly.”
“Oh, don't look so gloomy, you two,” Yuka said, coming over to them. Apparently they had had gloomy looks on their faces. “We've got it all cleaned now.”
“Sorry again,” InuYasha repeated.
“Don't worry, dear,” Kagome assured him. “All is forgiven.” She pulled him down for a quick kiss, to which the rest of the girls awwwwed.
The rest of the day passed smoothly into evening. The girls organized a few more games for the expecting, including tossing diapers against the wall until they broke and chocolate and candy came spilling out. They then just lounged around the living room, chatting randomly and about the babies to come. Eventually, it was time for everyone to leave. The schoolgirls yelled upstairs for their boyfriends to come back down. They ran down the stairs; they hadn't been too bored, since Sota had invited them into his room to play videogames. The guys went to the closet to grab the coats for them and their girls, and one by one Kagome and Sango bid farewell to the guests, thanking them for such a delightful surprise and saying they hoped they'd had fun. Eri, Yuka, Ayumi, and her baby were the last to leave.
“Boy oh boy!” Kagome exhaled. InuYasha helped her and the slayer back to the sofa to sit. “What a day, huh? Let's see what presents we got.” They opened the bags an unwrapped the boxes. Most of the stuff, of course, was for the babies. Bibs, high cars, passifiers, diapers, guides to parenting, etc. And there was stuff for Kagome and Sango, too; a lot of sweets, some makeup, and new Hirokata purses. Sango seemed to be very enamored of this object that held so many little trinkets.
“You certainly have some fun traditions in this time,” Sango noted.
“Fun? More like strange,” InuYasha keh'd. “But I did like the cake.” The girls chuckled at this; it was obvious from the stains that he liked chocolate. The hanyou walked over to the couch and sat between his mates, putting an arm around both of them.
“InuYasha, can we stay the night?” Kagome asked. “We're tired. We can go back tomorrow.”
“Sure thing, mate,” he replied, yawning, apparently a little tired himself. “We'll go tomorrow.”
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< br> Meanwhile…
“Lord Sesshomaru!”
The daiyoukai turned at his name being called. Rin was running down the path through the village, panting.
“What is it, Rin?”
The girl stopped at his waist and bent over to catch her breath. “I was…wondering,” she huffed, trying to arrange the question she'd wanted to ask because of the feelings she'd been having. Feelings that she'd already told Sango and Kagome, but wanted the opinion of the man she trusted most in the world.
“Wondering what?”
She stood up straight and looked up at him, standing at attention seriously, yet in a slightly comical manner.
“My lord, can I ask for your advice on love?”
To be continued…
-------------------------
Next time:
The baby shower was a success…well, mostly. The time draws nearer and nearer for the birth of Kagome and Sango's babies. And now, what could Rin be asking of Sesshomaru? Is her crush for Kohaku, in fact, something more? Stay tuned.
My note: Just want to thank the many reviewers. I've edited c. 18 briefly, about Kohaku's reaction to IY being Sango's mate, by the way.
LadyCash: Thanks as always, always good to write a chapter that makes someone amused. And also thanks for beta-ing of course. It's always a great help.
jaimed1968: I do hope the baby shower's to your liking. Wasn't easy. If you have any suggestions about stuff I could add to it, please share, I'd be happy to learn. Glad to see you're loving the story.
imanewme: It's good that you were able to find all those aww moments. Heh, certainly more than I would've found, and I wrote the thing. Hope you keep having fun reading.
unistar: The births will be coming soon enough, don't you worry. And what happens then…well, we'll have to wait and see.
n8tivegurl: I figured it was time to resolve somewhat the crush Sota had. And yes, the Kohaku/Rin bit is just an amusing/cute sidestory I'm doing. And it is always fun to make Sess feel awkward.
Hitsugaya360: Yep, he was caught off guard alright, and it looks like he might just've been so again. Hope you enjoy.
A side note: I want to say that as a guy, I basically had a very hard time writing about a baby shower, so I hope I did an acceptable job on it and it wasn't too short (I didn't know what else girls do at them). So, next update? I know this one took longer, but, rough week, again. Next one should be a bit easier (no tests), but still some essays. Well, we'll see what happens, yes? Thanks.
A side note: I want to say that as a guy, I basically had a very hard time writing about a baby shower, so I hope I did an acceptable job on it and it wasn't too short (I didn't know what else girls do at them). So, next update? I know this one took longer, but, rough week, again. Next one should be a bit easier (no tests), but still some essays. Well, we'll see what happens, yes? Thanks.